If there was a medication with little to no side effects that decreased the risk of having a heart attack or a stroke, improved your mood, increased metabolism, increased energy and libido, prevented diseases like diabetes, and was cheap, I would hand it out like candy. Every doctor would. Many pharmaceutical companies would edge towards bankruptcy in a short amount of time.
Obviously, such a medication does not exist, but exercise does. Exercise does everything the magical imaginary medication does and more. Unfortunately, exercise is harder to do than just popping a pill in your mouth.
Do you enjoy exercising? I hope so. It is easier to exercise if you enjoy it. It is hard to regularly do anything you don’t enjoy. There are lots of enjoyable forms of exercise. For me, enjoying exercise is pretty easy in the summer. It’s easy to go walking, jogging, hiking and swimming when the weather is warm. Winter can be harder, but there are still lots of fun things to do with snow. I love taking my kids sledding and that is a great leg day. Pocatello is close to some amazing skiing. I personally love the Nordic Center. The views are stunning and the prices affordable. I don’t have snowshoes, but plan on doing that someday. My sister’s photos of her snowshoeing near the Tetons made me jealous.
There are plenty of indoor activities to do as well. I love playing basketball. I’m terrible at it, but that doesn’t stop me from having fun. ISU has one of the largest indoor rock-climbing walls in the Northwest. There are multiple swimming pools in the area. In my opinion Lava Hot Springs is better in the winter. Pickleball is becoming popular for a reason. When my wife and I go dancing I’m often surprised how sore I am the next day. I feel I should also mention our local roller-skating rink Deleta, where you can work out muscles you forgot you had.
Some of the above suggestions may be difficult to do on a regular basis. Here are some suggestions I have for exercise during the cold months that are quick, cheap, and easy. My first suggestion is yoga. I was surprised the first time I did yoga how much of a workout it was. It is easy on the joints, improves flexibility and balance. I find it calming. Some find it spiritually uplifting. There are plenty of free online videos and classes for yoga exercises. There are fantastic local yoga studios in the area. Zumba and Jazzercise can be done in a small area. There are many free videos of both on YouTube. In fact, there are thousands of exercise videos on YouTube that can be done in your front room. Find one that you like. Find new ones. Try a martial art you’ve never heard of. The internet is full of great stuff.
I hope you choose to exercise. I hope you have fun doing it. I hope you enjoy the adventure or embrace the runners high or relish the feeling of accomplishment. If you do, and you make regular exercise a habit, you will be healthier, you will likely avoid needing medications to be healthy, and you will feel better.
– Daniel Sterner is a provider at Health West American Falls. He specializes in family medicine and obstetrical care and is accepting new patients.
